lfletcher

My longarm came with a starter kit. It was an extra charge, but included everything I needed from a roll of batting, 10 large spools of thread, bobbins, needles, small parts, wrist pin cushion, corsage pins to pin on the quilt, a set of hex tools, etc. The only additional items I have needed to purchase in the past 2-1/2 years is additional batting, thread & needles. I thought it was well worth the price so you might check to see if a starter kit comes with your machine.

feline fanatic

I think everyone's list is different. I did not order loads of extra bobbins. I started out with about 10 as well and then quickly discovered I LOVE prewound bobbins, especially magnaglide prewounds. So you never know.

I still pin my tops and backs to the leaders. I have not yet invested in any other system. Pinning is least expensive and I would rather take a little longer to pin and spend my $$ on other things like fabric, thread, batting, and gadgets.

I love ruler and template work but agree with Alikat that you may not like it so if you only get one ruler to start get a small straight ruler. I am assuming your machine comes with a ruler base, if not you will need one of those if you plan on doing any ruler work. It is impossible to do it without one not to mention dangerous. I pick up my 2" x 6" straight more than any other gadget I own. It is absolutely necessary for SID or any straight line quilting. After that I used my curved arc ruler for curved crosshatch and circles the most. I actually use my circle templates more for marking then actual quilting. speaking of marking, you might want to pick up a couple of blue water soluble markers.

I would also invest in a white board or large pads of newsprint, the 18" x 24" size to practice on. The more you draw a design the better you will be at quilting it. Like signing your name, you can probably do it blindfolded.

peacefulquilting

One item that I didn't buy until about year three or four (but wished I had bought earlier) was a TOWA gauge to measure the tension on bobbins. Once I had this - no more problems with tension on the back.

I would also make sure to have at least one extra bobbin case on hand; there will inevitably come a time when you drop your bobbin case and it will have the slightest little bend or dent to it and you'll find yourself needing that replacement. Some manufacturers or dealers actually have kits of spare parts - ask to see if your machine will come with one for free or a small cost.

quiltstringz

I will tell you that the one thing I purchased when it was on sale ($75) was a small air compressor. I know you are all going WHAT! I prefer it to canned air and with the cost of canned air it didn't take long to make up that $. Not only that you can use it to clean the rest of the machine, table, floor, etc. I have wood floors so I can blow the lint out of the way before I get to sweeping. In fact I have even used it to dust off my blinds!

Geri B

Yes a small compressor is great....on longarm there are no secret little places for lint to be blown into as on DSM...it will just blast it OUT.....

On mine I have two yardsticks....that I slip under the side clamps..one on each side. Close to the clamps...raises them just enough so the sewing head does not get caught up at the edges......

Also bought two old fashioned curtain rods and a lipped cookie sheet...put rods over take up rollers, screwed on cookie sheet and it is a little shelf on which I have my snipped thread catcher...empty Kleenex box, tool caddy which holds large scissors, dry erase pens(to adjust panto, if necessary) ,large scissors to trim sides, pin cushion with a few pins for "just in case"...
Instead of lanyard for scissors I use one of those things you attach to shirt and your scissors are on a string that is spring fed on this thing....and the snap back close to your body....don't know the official name...but this way scissors are not in the way, hanging from neck
Each finds little things that make their longarm journey more efficient.....have fun

PlanoDebbie

For those of you that use rulers with your longarm, do you have any sort of throat extension table (or whatever it's called)? I've seen those clear acrylic things the get hooked on to your longarm machine to extend the surface of the bed. I've not bought or tried any rulers yet because I thought I needed this contraption. Hopefully somebody knows what I'm talking about.

For those of you that do SITD with rulers, do you roll your quilts back and forth several times during the quilting process? Once I roll my quilt, I don't want to go back to quilt a previous section again.

quiltinghere

I believe the bold part of the statement could be incorrect on some machines.

Craftnut

You will have an ever growing list of wants for a longarm. I have had mine for 5 years, and I am still getting new stuff for it - rulers and pantographs mainly. I use two old-fashioned curtain rods to hold up the side clamps, they have the bent ends that hold onto the roller bars so they don't slide off. My machine came with a ruler and base plate, corsage pins, and a magnetic bowl to keep them in. I already had literally hundreds of spools of thread from years of sewing and serging, some I can use with the LA and some not.

NikkiLu

I have absolutely no idea but I go to the Paducah Quilt show every year and I think that half of the vendor's booths are full of things for long arm machines. I don't have any need to look at them so just pass by those booths. So, if you have any big quilt show/conventions in your area, you ought to go and look around to see what all is available.